The tendency for today's portable electronic devices is towards enhanced capability in a small to mid-size housing. Cell phones are largely sized to fit within the pockets of a person's slacks or a purse, and even laptop computers are increasingly being replaced with the use of tablets that are smaller, sleeker, and more easily transported.
The smaller these electronic devices become, with the intent of providing greater mobility for its user, the less adequate are many of the prior art privacy/sun screens and visors. Some of these prior art devices include the following.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,508,757 to Chen is for a “Foldable Screen Protector” intended for use on a computer monitor or a notebook computer, and may include a foldable top cover, and foldable left and right support plates.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,546 to Giulie is for a “Detachable Visor for Lap-Top Computer Monitor,” which has a central panel and two side panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,508,657 to Smith describes a “Privacy-Enhancing, Glare-Reducing Display Screen Shield.” The shield taught by Smith may be formed of a pleated central portion, and first and second legs on each, of the two edges of the pleated central portion, with at least one of the legs being used to attach the shield to the electronic device.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,553,034 to Liou is for a “Display Having a Visor,” Lion teaches the use of two sliding members, two spinning arms, and a visor, where one end of each of the spinning arms is pivotally coupled to the sliding member, and the spinning arms support the visor. The flat visor may be positioned to block sunlight, or it may be pivoted to the front of the display screen to protect it from dust and scratches.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,871,170 to Perkins is for a “Protective Visor for Marine Electronics.” The Perkins visor includes a visor body with turned-out protruding portions that define first and second water flow paths.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,075,145 to Engblom describes “Display Screen Shades for Mobile Devices.” Engblom teaches a bracket for attachment to a mobile device, and a light valve that is pivotally coupled to the hinge, to permit pivotal movements of the light valve between at least two positions.
U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2013/0341233 by Dow is for a “Tablet Case with Glare Protection.” The tablet case taught by Dow includes a cover pivotally connect to a base, and a pair of side panels that can be folded against the cover in a closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,727,546 to Trinh is for a “GPS Visor.” The visor taught by Trinh includes a flat shield member that is snapped onto a GPS unit, to improve viewing of the display screen when the unit is utilized in proximity to a vehicle's windshield.
WIPO Publication No. WO 2012/045563 by Scanlan is to an “Anti-Glare Visor for Portable Visual Display Unit.” The Scanlan visor includes side walls, an end wall, and a top wall where the end wall and top wall are integrally formed.
The Applicant herein, teaches a variably deployable cascading pivotal visor for a mobile device—an arrangement that offers numerous advantageous over the prior art devices.